Training Log: Entry 3177

AM WORKOUT (0420 Natural Wake up)

**5/3/1 BUILDING THE MONOLITH** Week 3, Workout 4 (Conditioning)

75 swings w/20kg bell

2 mile walk w/80lb vest

30 rounds of 10 prisoner squats and 10 push ups in 21 minutes

BREAKFAST

Short walk w/dog (no vest)

Notes:

* Every time this day rolls around in the program, it’s exactly what I need.  Feeling a little beat and “over it” for the heavy stuff, so I can just get my heart rate up, listen to a podcast, get in some walking, and limber up my body.  Funny enough, this is Jamie Lewis’ daily prescription in Feast, Famine and Ferocity (2 mile walk and 300 squats/push ups) just as part of “being a human”.  And then I also steal from Dan John by hitting the swings first to get the heart rate up and break up the free fatty acids.

* I realize a little bit of the subtle genius in Jim’s conditioning recommendations during BtM as well.  Weighted vest walks and airdyne for distance are low intensity, and will most likely keep the heart rate in the “fat burning” zone vs sugar/muscle burning.  All those folks worried about “getting fat” from eating a dozen eggs and 1.5lbs of ground beef a day are missing out on the built in fat gain control there.  And in the past, I was certainly guilty of pushing the intensity stupidly hard during the program.  It wasn’t a situation where Jim was saying “Don’t push the conditioning hard because it’s bad for you”, it was “Don’t push the conditioning hard because that’s not the program”.  Keep the goal the goal.

* I was moving quite slow on those squats and push ups.  Hitting them after the 2 mile weighted walk is a different animal.

* Had some time to reflect on the walk.  It’s crazy the things that have healed as my nutrition has sorted itself.  I’ve been able to sleep on my back for the past few months now, having spent 37 years as a stomach sleeper.  It’s now actually pretty uncomfortable for me to sleep on my stomach.  Plantar warts on my feet have gone away.  Complexion is better.  I no longer need anti-perspirant; just deodorant, which is crazy having been a guy who was constantly “pitting out”.  Joint pain significantly reduced.  My digestion is the best it’s been in quite a while.  All these interesting things that I just thought were quirks of mine or aspects of getting older have turned out to be things that just needed healing.

* Work schedule is still a little intense, so shorter walks with the dog.  

* Tang Soo Do on the schedule for tonight.  Last class was actually pretty solid: we did some flow drills and improv with 1 step self-defense.  Got to bring out some elbows and headbutts.

 Training Log: Entry 3176

AM WORKOUT (0420 wake up via alarm)

**5/3/1 BUILDING THE MONOLITH** Week 3, Workout 3

SUPERSET (Pull-bench)

Low handle trap bar pull

5x175

5x335

5x385

3x5x425 (just realized at this moment I went 20lbs over what I was supposed to do today)

Axle bench press

5xAxle

5x186

5x211

5x5x236

KB rows

3x15x40kg

1x12x40kg

1x10x40kg

Poundstone Curls

100xAxle (85 unbroken)

END OF REQUIRED WORK

3x10 standing ab wheel

Neck harness

20 GHRs

BREAKFAST

Short walk w/dog (no vest)

Notes:

* As I logged this, I realized I forgot to factor the trap bar weighing 65lbs into my platemath, so I went 20lbs heavier on everything.  Which means it’s time to reset my training max, because though this was a HARD workout, it wasn’t impossible.  Good to discover I’m getting that strong.  Reminds me of the story Jamie Lewis tells where Pat Casey OR Bruce Randall (which shows it’s a tall tale, but a good one) took a bench that was bolted to the floor and ripped it out of the moorings without even realizing it, thinking it was just a free bench.  Just so strong it didn’t register.  I also have that Goku moment of “now that I’ve experienced 100 times gravity I must TRAIN at 100 times gravity”, because I KNOW I’m strong enough to do 3x5x425 on the trap bar.  

* This was the day I was dreading the most, oddly enough, NOT the widowmaker day.  Pulls for multiple sets always suck, and the low handle trap bar is totally against how I’m built.  Getting through it is the win for this week.

* I honestly think I may just always pull with a trap bar for 5/3/1 workouts at this point, while making sure to keep in my weekly mat pull workout.  I don’t really get much out of multiple sets of straight bar deads, whereas the trap bar definitely attacks my weaknesses.  Meanwhile, I am certain I can recover from 5 minutes of deadlifting once a week, and I respond VERY well to one big set in that fashion.  Having my cake and eating it too.

* Benching didn’t feel super strong, but good enough.  

* Really trying to get those rows to register “bodybuilder style”.  Focusing on the pump and cramp.

* Always pleased with what I’m picking for assistance work.  Things that matter.

* Glad I could get in something with the dog.  Weather is getting better, but work schedule is a bit more intense.

Not used to seeking Frank rocking my haircut

 Training Log: Entry 3175

AM WORKOUT (0520 wake up via Valkyrie's alarm)

**5/3/1 BUILDING THE MONOLITH** Week 3, Workout 2 Conditioning

30 minutes, EMOM of

* 5 KB swings w/47.5lb bell

* Run up and down the stairs

* 10 prisoner squats

* 10 push ups

Ended with some stair jumps

Notes:

* Schedule is a little screwy, and Chaos is the plan, so I got in a very solid 30 minutes here.  Each round had me with about 14 seconds to recover, and I was huffing.  This was fantastic.

* My legs were horrifically pumped from the combination of stairs and squats with such short rest periods.  I still tried to emphasize rep quality, but I had to move them quicker today to squeeze in everything with the time.  This was a really good balance of movements.  Kick off with something explosive with the swings, then bolt up the stairs, then rep out the bodyweight work.  

* All this said, I have a 10 mile run coming up in April, and I SHOULD try to get into long distance running shape...but I honestly just don't care to run distances.  And it's less about the running and more about the impact it has on me.  I find, whenever I focus on distance running, I tend to get "stringy".  My physique flattens and I grow flabbier.  I attribute it to the heart rate zone: burning sugar and protein instead of fat.  Granted, this type of training should be doing the same thing, but I feel like the mixed intensities save it a little.  I'm most likely just going to gut it out come race day and suffer on the back end.

* Tang Soo Do later tonight as well.

* Also got in a 2.5 mile walk with the family last night. Weather is getting better.

Oh man, two of my favorites

Training Log: Entry 3174

AM WORKOUT (0505 wake up via alarm, kid didn’t need to get dropped off today so I slept in)

**5/3/1 BUILDING THE MONOLITH** Week 3, Workout 1

SUPERSET (Press-squat)

Axle clean and strict press away

5x128

5x148

5x163 (continental)

13x128

Buffalo Bar Squat

5xBar

5x135

5x245

5x275

SUPERSET (Squat-BPA)

Buffalo bar Squat

5x5x305

BPA

5x20

Chins and Dips

100/200 total, started w/10 and 20, then did rounds of 2-3-5/4-6-10 until I got to 50, then rounds of 2-3/4-6 until 100/200

End of required work: in 48 minutes

EXTRA WORK

3x10 Standing ab wheel

55x180 reverse hyper

2 minutes of lateral raises w/2.5lb plates (60 reps total)

Notes:

* I re-pinched that nerve in my chest on Saturday morning, and was in a decent amount of agony through the week.  Putting on a shirt required some thinking.  I came into this workout curious about my abilities, but found my strength was REALLY present and ready to go.  I attribute this to a few factors.  One being that Jim is much smarter than me, and putting that lighter week between week 1 and 3 is a great way to ramp me up for this heavy work.  The other being that I had a fantastic carb up meal the night before of a pasta casserole dish with some homemade sourdough and chocolate chip cookies with some local honey.  I managed to not eat like a total a-hole in the presence of such delicious and soul enriching food, but definitely ate the amount I needed based on the intense carb sweats I had within the hour.  Yet again, I will pay myself on the back for the choices being made here: eating what we make in the home instead of grabbing some garbage from outside.  We found this baller single ingredient pasta as the base, use a sauce with no sugar added, some great cheese from Trader Joes (I get grassfed whenever possible), grasssfed sour cream and low ingredient sweet Italian pork sausage.  When the meal is done, despite being so alien to me, I feel fantastic, because I’m not trying to digest a bunch of science experiments on top of a bunch of carbs.

* Ok, enough about food, let’s actually talk training: I am delighted at how the squats went.  275 felt heavy last week, yet on the first set of 305 I knew I had this in the bag.  I even kept rests to about a minute.  

* Great pump from the dips and chins.

* Proud of what I am prioritizing on that extra work.  That reverse hyper has a conditioning element to it when the reps get high enough.

* Mrs commented on how big I’m looking these days.  I’m noticing it too.  I’m filling out t-shirts that were hanging loose on me.  Starting to take on my old form.  My abs are getting blurry, but still present, and I do imagine a fair amount of that is just holding onto some more fluid/food mass, but also an element of “softening up” ala John McCallum.  Reducing my lifting down to 3x a week has been the absolute right move.  It’s so funny how this cyclical stuff can be so organic.  When time allows, we train more often, push very hard, and come to a point of breaking.  Then we ease off the throttle, make use of all that built up volume, coast and GROW.  This was how Stuart McRobert was able to make a name with abbreviated training after people had been riding the volume train for so long.  Mark Rippetoe pulled the same trick.  And I suppose, really, Arthur Jones with HIT.  

* Had to cut out the walk this morning because of some work demands.  Also why I like my current approach: I have the dedicated conditioning days.  I’m contemplating breaking out the prowler or sled tomorrow, since our weather is getting better. 

 Training Log: Entry 3173

Weekend.  Slept till 0700, awesome breakfast, got in 300 push ups today and 50 prisoner squats.

Did this after breakfast.  Yes: I'm wearing my Mario Pajamas

(4) Mat Pulls: 12+5+4x405

Meal prep for the week is awesome

1lb of lamb, 1lb of venison and 1lb of beef rib fingers (put them through the grinder) with 1 pasture raised egg and some redmonds salt.

 Training Log: Entry 3172

AM WORKOUT (0420 wake up via alarm)

**5/3/1 BUILDING THE MONOLITH** Week 2, Workout 5

GIANT SET (press-squat-chin)

Axle clean and strict press away

5x5x113

Buffalo Bar Squat

5xBar

5x155

5x205

5x245

5x275

Weighted NG chin

5x5x35

GIANT SET (press-shrug-BPA)

Axle clean and strict press away

5x5x113

Axle shrug against average short bands

1x34, 2x33

BPA

1x34, 2x33

Buffalo Bar Squat (Widowmaker)

75x165

END OF REQUIRED WORK

3x10 Standing ab wheel

Lateral raises

Neck harness

Notes: 

* Really tried to move quick today, and it worked out.  I had finished everything except for the widowmaker in about 27 minutes.  That’s just lightning.

* Right knee is pretty swollen, but by the topset of squats things were ok, and it didn’t present any pain in the widowmaker.  In the aftermath, it’s swollen again.

* I was pleased to actually run into some resistance on that widowmaker.  It checks that a 20lb delta was going to present some challenges.  I had a few more in me after 75, but with the knee being wonky, it seemed like the prudent move to rack.  I definitely got some value out of it.

* Next week is definitely going to be a challenge.  Time to eat.

* Tang Soo Do last night was a decent focus on the basics.

* Gotta love what Steve Pulcinella said here

 Training Log: Entry 3171

AM WORKOUT (0415 natural wake up, snooze for 7 minutes)

**5/3/1 BUILDING THE MONOLITH** Week 2, Workout 4 (Conditioning)

75 kb swings w/20kg bell

2 mile walk w/80lb vest at 2.8mph average

100 prisoner squats and 100 push ups in 5 minutes (sets of 10)

BREAKFAST

1.5 mile walk w/dog (no vest)

Notes:

* I keep falling back in love with this program.  Biggest thing about this day is how I DON’T have to think about it.  Didn’t need to come up with some crazy conditioning protocol: just put on the vest and go walk dummy.  I hit those swings at the start just to jump the heart rate a little, and because swings are awesome, and got in some of my daily squats and push ups at the end.  In truth, I intended for more, but one of my ear buds fell out in my garage and I had to spend 5 minutes looking for the damn thing.  Chaos continues to be the plan.

* Speed was the same as last week, but took on more hills.  Also used a different vest.  Yes: I have many different weight vests: I am diseased.  This one was the Ironmaster vest, which I like more than the CAP vest because the weight sits high on the lungs vs around the hips, so it adds to the challenge.

* My right knee is still feeling junked up from yesterday.  Gonna make high rep squats tomorrow super fun.  

* Weather has gotten really nice, so hopefully this means more family walks in the future.  But tonight is Tang Soo Do.

Never seen such a hench looking Colossus before